SOUTHERN AFRICA. 301 



they had suffered the severest privations^ the invaders were 

 promptly met by the Matabih^ and routed with terrible 

 slaug"hter. Taking- advantag-e of the confusion^ a band of 

 vagabond Griquas and Korannas slunk^ jackal-like^ into the 

 Amazooloo territories from the westward^ and were actually 

 in full retreat with a considerable booty in cattle^ when they 

 too were overtaken by a party of the Matabili warriors^ and 

 utterly destroyed. Thus badg-ered and worried on all sides, 

 the Lion of the North will not again be found sleeping- • and 

 granting* that the superior strength of the emigrants enables 

 them eventually to despise his opposition, their situation will 

 still be far from enviable. Shut out from Natal, as a sea-port, 

 by their remote location from the coast ; and excluded from 

 the advantages of Delagoa Ba}^ b}^ the jealousy of the Por- 

 tuguese, their supplies, more especially of ammunition, must 

 necessarily be extreme^ limited. By an old colonial law, the 

 transit of gunpowder across the border is contraband, and by 

 a late Act of Parliament, offences committed a\ ithin the 25th 

 jiarallel of south latitude have been rendered capitally cog*- 

 nizable. Their horses must speedily perish b}^ the epidemic 

 already described, and thus precluded from hunting they Avill 

 become solely dependent for support upon domestic resources. 

 Admitthig that intestine dissensions have not already caused 

 a division, the necessity of obtaining pasturage for their nu- 

 merous herds will shortly compel them to break up into small 

 parties ', and want of water, the curse of unhappy Africa, will 

 couple a similar contingency with any attempt at cultivation. 

 Thus situated, the isolated, ammunitionless emigrant will fall 

 an easy prey to the lurking and predatory savage — repenting, 

 when it is too late, of the foil}' that induced him to resign 

 himself to the hazards of so wild an adventure. 



Much then, as these deluded exiles have already suffered, 

 and deluged as their path has already been with blood, even 

 they can form at present but a very inadequate conception oi 



